Pacific Park, Cirque du Soleil in a showdown by the seashore

Just about every tourist-related business in Santa Monica sees dollar signs in Cirque du Soleil's return to a beachfront parking lot near the pier this fall.

Everyone, that is, except the company that runs the Pacific Park amusement center.

The 2-acre park, with a freshly renovated Ferris wheel and a roller coaster, has emerged as a major draw for the pier, city officials acknowledge.

But now, it's squaring off against an even more powerful draw: Cirque du Soleil.

The circus, which features acrobatic performers on extravagant sets, will be bringing its "Kooza" show to Santa Monica starting Oct. 16 for a two-month run.

Hotels, restaurants and other businesses, anticipating large crowds, are eagerly behind the show, which is expected to bring local merchants at least $4 million in additional revenue.

The problem for Pacific Park is that Cirque du Soleil will be setting up on what it considers to be its main parking lot, blocking more than 700 spaces.

There is also public parking on the pier itself and in other nearby lots, but park managers are concerned that many of their 4 million annual visitors won't want to compete with Cirque fans for parking spaces.

"It's difficult to find ourselves as the sole major business that does not anticipate a major windfall from Cirque," Pacific Park Chief Executive Mary Ann Powell said. "It's not a comfortable position to be in, because usually everyone's interests are in tandem."

Powell said she feared that the circus' presence could shave $1 million off the park's projected $4-million fall revenue.

Santa Monica residents saved the pier from demolition in the 1970s, but as a business concern, it was still a bit shaky in 1996.

That's when Santa Monica Amusements, a group of 25 private investors, pooled their funds to construct the 70,000-square-foot park. The venture is overseen by a five-member management committee that includes Richard Hochman of Regent Capital in New York and Richard Olshansky of Los Angeles.

The park's 12 rides, 21 games and food court help anchor the pier and draw visitors and their wallets to the area.

"The park is very valuable," said Misty Kerns, president of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau. "They've served as a very impressive anchor to the pier and helped catapult it to be even more famous than it was before."